Edwin Ruthven NICHOLS

NICHOLS, MCWATTY, OLIN, ROATH, POULSON, BENHAM, NELSON, MILLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/16/2008 at 11:19:13

5 January 1837 --- 24 August 1919

27 August 1919
Wright County Monitor, Clarion Iowa

Edwin Nichols was born at Bangor, Maine 5 Jan 1837 and departed this life 24 Aug 1919 at Clarion, IA, age 83 yrs 8m 19ds. Mr. Nichols grew to the age of nineteen in his native community, and then with his parents moved to Madison, Wisc., where he followed the occupation of a farmer. When the civil war of the sixties broke out Mr. Nichols was among the first to hear his country's call and enlisted during the year 1861 and remained in the service until 1865, when he received his honorable discharge. After returning home, he was united in marriage to Miss Ellen McWatty of Madison, Wisc. on 25 Dec 1865. To this union were born seven children, 2 sons and five daughters, one daughter having died in infancy. The other six remain to mourn his death, his wife having gone on before, some years ago.

Besides the six children, Mrs. Sadie Olin of Bellingham, Wash., Mrs. Charles Roath of Fertile, IA, I. P. and C. A. Nichols and Mrs. E. A. Poulson of Clarion, and Mrs. Edna Benham of Mason City, IA, he is survived by one brother, O. T. Nichols of Fresno, Calif. and 21 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Two of the grandchildren, sons of Mrs. Roath, were in the United States Service in France during the late world war, one of them having died in France, the other having been honorably discharged during the month of April 1919.

Mr. Nichols and his wife came to Iowa immediately after their marriage, having made the trip from Madison, Wisc. in an ox wagon. They settled in Lincoln Twp. Wright Co. about 5 miles southeast of Clarion. Later Mr. Nichols moved to a farm north of Clarion a few miles, and finally about 37 years ago he settled on the farm N. E. of Clarion in Grant Twp. and has since made his home. During the last few years and especially for the last umpteen months Mr. Nichols has been in very feeble condition. Every consideration was shown to him by his children. Mrs. Olin came from Washington to give him special care and with tenderness of an infant he was nursed and attended until the end came.

Funeral services were held from the Methodist Epis. Church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock with Rev. J. W. LaGrove in charge. The body was laid to rest in Clarion Cemetery beside that of his wife.

***********************
CITY BRIEFS
Mrs. C. M. Roath and son Ira and Edward Nelson of Fertile, and Mrs. A. J. Benham of Mason City and Mrs. Ben Miller of Ventura were called to Clarion by the death of Grandpa Nichols.